Flesh Stalkers
by Angry Archer
Summary: G1: After Ravage turns up missing Rumble and Frenzy are forced to search for him in one of the most hostile places unknown to man. Rated T for Monster Violence
1. Obsession

**A/N**: As a horror fan, I love the 'wide' variety of sub-genres horror contains: zombies, vampires, ghosts, psychological thrillers, creature etc. etc. One of my favorite movies is 'The Descent'. So here's a crossover because I'm a whore for crossover fics and I love to use the Cassettes every chance I get; this one is about Ravage. You don't really need to know anything about the movie to read this; I tried writing it that way.

There's not a lot of talking in this chapter because a lot of it is in Ravage's POV. Sorry. Next chapter will have it—promise!

With nothing further to add- enjoy! :)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything in this fic...

* * *

_**FLESH STALKERS**_

**Chapter 1**

**"Obsession"**

* * *

_**APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS/CHATOOGA NATIONAL PARK, U.S.A  
TIME: 20 EARTH HOURS LEFT TO HUNT**_

He knew it was disgustingly primitive but ever since he discovered the caves it seemed to be the only way to rid himself of the frustration those insufferable insects that habituated the planet gave him.

Civilized fleshlings were too easy for him to kill—most of the time they didn't even bother to fight back and when they did it they still were not worth his time.

He needed a challenge—he loved a challenge. It was what made him such a deadly enemy.

Lucky for him, he found a prey worthy enough of his ferocious proclivity.

He had found the caves thanks to Rumble and Frenzy, except they weren't as thrilled about as he was. Instead of finding coal, they found humanity in it's most primitive and feral form.

After they fought their way through the unknown rabid species of humanoids and escaped to the surface, Ravage couldn't fight the impulses to return back.

He _liked_ his experience in the caves.

They were the best challenge next to an Autobot on this planet to date. Completely adapted to cave-life, they moved with deadly stealth through the dark. Mixed with the color of their skin providing camaflouge, they were difficult for Ravage to track; he sometimes mistook them for the sandy colored calcium deposits that clumped up in the wetter areas of the cave system.

Ravage knew that they couldn't inflict any real damage to him— sometimes they would get under his armor and grab some fuel lines— but it was their determination that he loved. They would do everything, thinking that he was another meal: claw, bite, scratch, screech and try their best to overpower him. Even when Ravage would pin them, they still fought against him with just as much ferocity.

They never quit even though they knew they were finished, wither it primitive courage or animal stupidity, he enjoyed it all the same.

They weren't like the surface creatures he had hunted in the past and the fact that they were also humanoid added more pleasure for him when he sank his metallic claws into their flesh.

He needed them today.

Ravage approached the entrance to their Feeding Station, the mossy Appalachian mountain pines standing in the fog of the early morning the only witnesses to where he _really _was and what he was doing. He growled to himself. He definitely needed them today, he had a grudge and he needed to kill something that somewhat resembled them.

_The Autobot pets. That adolescent male and his female companion. Running him over with their vehicle when he had that Autobot Bumblebee right where he wanted him... his fangs inches away from the fuel cables in his neck..._

The smell of copper hit his olfactory unit, causing him to twitch him long nose slightly.

It only took three astro-seconds for his systems to identify the substance and display it on his view...

Blood.

He approached closer to the hole, camaflouged by the messy forest ground and the sticks that covered it; he could already hear some of them feeding… organic dental plates sinking into flesh, making a disgusting wet crunch that traveled to Ravage's audios.

Ravage optics dulled briefly; even though he killed these flesh creatures, the thought of sinking his fangs into their flesh was enough to disgust him— he always used his claws.

A shuffle of wets leaves and cracking twigs caused the cyber panther to lift his head, he turned to see a hunched figure on all fours drag something in his direction. He briefly backed away, allowing the creature room.

It was a large male Crawler (a name that Frenzy given them) dragging a small black bear by it's front-right arm. Ravage stared at him as he passed by him, the creature oblivious to Ravage's presence. He had discovered in his second trip to the caves that their optical functions were extremly poor and instead used their sharp audios and other senses for their vision.

Ravage watched him as he continued to gaze around the area, snarling and sniffing the air with it's pig-light snout, it's bat-like ears twitching for any sound to be heard. Ravage didn't make a sound, unafraid but not ready to kill; stealth was the first part of the exercise — hunting and killing was later.

It screeched slightly and sharply turned it's bald, gray head in his direction, it's mouth opening and revealing a set of shark-like teeth. It tilted it's head into uncomfortable animal-like angles, as if tasting the air with it's mouth. Ravage noticed that his olfactory unit was severely damaged... he couldn't smell him; it must have felt his presence. Pity... feelings wre debatable; smell was better.

Ravage narrowed his optics minutely.

To Ravage's slight disappointment, it didn't seem to know he was there. After a long pause, making sure that there was indeed nothing, it closed it's jaw and continued on; dragging the dead bear into the hole and joining the other Crawlers awaiting for more food.

Ravage soon approached the hole the Crawler just entered, sinking lower to the ground until his metallic belly touched the foliage of the forest floor. Metal against dirt, he attempted to slip inside.

_Clunk._

Ravage looked over his shoulder plates, kicking himself mentally for forgetting to remove the twin guns on his hips. He only ever removed them for maintenance and the caves (which were just barely big enough for him when he shrunk his form as much as possible. All Transformers had the ability to shrink their body or expand it, the only exception was Astrotrain who could do it to the point of being able to fit Devastator in his cargo bay; a fact that tickled the shuttle mech's ego.

His guns dropped to the ground with a hiss and he proceeded inside.

Metal against rock scratched the air and the Crawler's heads lifted up from their meals.

It was harder to sneak in through this entrance (or exit, depending on who was chasing who) than the others. The fact that he was infiltrating them at where they tended to gather provided more of challenge.

Their nostrils smelled the air, detecting the odor of something foreign in their caves though they couldn't identify what it was.

Ravage had been prepared for the premature detection.

Like a turkey hunter uses a caller to draw in a Tom, a recording of their screeching emanated from his vocalizer.

They screeched back in response, welcoming it as if it was a fellow Crawler.

They went back to feeding.

Ravage slinked into the dark caves, his optics brightening to adjust. Preoccupied with eating and the noise of teeth sinking and ripping flesh he slinked past them, his paws softly steeping on hard boulders with a metallic clink that was drowned out by their ravenous hunger.

It was easy to foul them when they were busy, but it was when they were in hunting that made it difficult for him to sneak by them. It was hard trying to make his metal paws as quiet as possible on the terrestrial surfaces of the caves, but the more he came through this exit the quieter he was becoming, which would greatly pay off on further espionage missions. It was just good practice in his opinion…

A Crawler was blocking his path and he narrowed his optics in annoyance. He was eating and by the looks of the freshly killed deer, he wasn't about to move anytime soon.

Ravage checked his time... he had only twenty hours to kill his fill, return back to the Nemesis, clean up and report to Soundwave's briefing on their next mission.

_I don't have the time to wait for you..._

But it continued to eat, as if rudely ignoring Ravage's need to get by.

Ravage optics fixed on something at his paws. Clean, white bones from it's last meal. Ravage tilted his head as if in an amused manner and swiped one of the bones to his left.

It clinked against the opposite wall and the heads of the Crawler's immediately shot up. They listened intently for it, wondering what disturbed their feeding. With their attention captured, Ravage swiped the second one and received the expected reaction from them.

They left their animal carcasses and went over to investigate the sounds— including the one blocking his way.

Distracted, he slinked into the caves, searching for his hunting grounds.

* * *

_**GOURGE  
TIME: 17.5 HOURS LEFT TO HUNT.**_

_Bones... hundreds of them in a chamber as far as the optics could see. The remains of their meals and any unfortunate cavers that became permanent visitors..._

And that was Ravage's destination.

All he had to do was get across the gap in his path.

He hated crossing the large chasm not because it was physically demanding; it was because he had to be very precise. One inch to the left or any hesitation in his leap and would fall into the abyss below. He had only one close call before— the first time with Rumble and Frenzy— and he didn't wish to have another one.

A sound echoing in the distance on the other side of the chasm promised him Crawlers to hunt.

He checked his chronometer.

Seventeen hours remained. Plenty of time, although the last wrong turn would have given him an extra hour to get out and get back.

Ravage didn't rely on his tracking systems; he was using the caves as an exercise and seeing if he could do it without the aid of his other equipment. He was definitely getting better at mapping the caves from memorization.

He backed up slightly, squeezing his way through the hole barely big enough for him. Turning around, the tightness of the passage uncomfortable, he prepared to sprint.

Claws sank beneath his shoulder armor and began pulling at sensitive wiring, viciously trying to injure him. Ravage yowled slightly when it disconnected an important fuel line and rolled onto his back, pinning the Crawler beneath him and using his weight to subdue the fleshling.

Ravage steam-rolled over to his paws and immediately pressed it into it's chest, his metal nails extending and sinking them into the area over it's lungs. It howled in pain and Ravage quickly went to silence it as another paw sliced it deep in the throat, cutting the important arteries in his neck.

It let out a garbled but quiet cry, blood spraying Ravage in the face like a strangled garden hose. Soon it succumbed after a few muscle spasms from electricity and died.

Ravage was dissatisfied.

The Crawler's howl of pain had probably alerted the others. His exercise was ruined.

Now he was angry.

Ravage sprinted past the body of the dead Crawler, jumped across the chasm and landed in the next passage; awkwardly but successfully.

Face already half-covered in his hunts' blood, he turned his head towards darkness of the passage that lay in front of him.

* * *

_**THE BONE PIT  
TIME: 16 HOURS LEFT TO HUNT**_

_Squishy and wet…_ it was the only sensation he could describe it as his feet sank into the decaying meat. The rotting smell burning his olfactory sensors like napalm. He navigated through the low ceiling pit and around the montonous piles of bones.

The bone pit obviously served as their landfill, as well as the center of their home; all the passages of the caves intersected, making this place the most popular out of all the areas in the cave system.

All he had to do was wait.

He crept through the darkness avoiding the bones of dead animals, his audios waiting for the slightest sound that wasn't trickling water. He set himself on a rock near the walls of the cave, sand cushioning his loud metallic paws.

A clicking sound in the darkness caused him to turn his head. He narrowed his optics. It was them no doubt and the fact that they were making noises told Ravage that he had succeeded; they would have been quieter if they knew he was there.

Ravage turned his head in another direction at the sound of the high-pitched animal call in the distance.

He now knew where two fleshlings were... but where were the others?

Something warm and muculent hit his right shoulder plate.

His optics landed on the transparent mucus, dripping from his shoulder to the sandy ground. Another Crawler was heard clicking nearby...

Weight dropped on his shoulder plates from above and rolled the cyber-cat forward. Ravage was on his paws instantly to meet the Crawler who slashed him in the face with it's primitive claws, only managing to scratch him. Ravage returned the favor and unlike the organic caused more damage.

Ravage's claws sank into his chest and swiped his claw through his meat as if he was throwing heavy mud.

Ravage pounced and crushed the creature beneath his weight, pinning him down by his damaged chest and eliciting a screech of pain. Ravage smiled inwardly as he watched it struggled, still trying to free itself and viciously fight back. _Where did this creature get his ferocious attitude? Did it even posses the common sense to know when it was finished?_

It almost wasn't a fair battle... almost.

He was tackled from the side and thrown off his prey. The new Crawler attacked, swiping blindly for him.

Ravage sprinted to the side but the monster was quick to locate him. It came at Ravage from the front and with incredible strength managed to force the cyber-cat onto his back. It reached down and bit the crook of Ravage's neck— it's signature death move.

It screeched back with a jaw of broken and bloody teeth. Ravage hissed in disgust at the feeling of saliva sinking into the dented metal of his neck armor. The Crawler, clearly angered, growled deeply and attacked again.

Ravage was faster. He raised himself to his hind legs and slashed the air, his claws connecting to it's throat.

Another kill and more blood to stain his black form.

One still lay alive, screeching out painfully; the first Crawler that attacked him.

He let it screech— it would alert the others...

Ravage slinked back into the shadows, his optics aglow brightly as the dark concealed his form.

Minutes passed before another Crawler came to it's aid. Ravage's optics slanted with satisfaction as he watched it, his back exposed to the black panther behind him.

Ravage watched with humored and malicious fascination the scene unfold between the two. Seemingly able to detect that his fellow Crawler was done for, it sniffed it's body once and then quickly went to work euthanizing his fellow cave climber.

A pained cry issued from the injured Crawler as teeth sank into his throat before he was instantly silenced. Ravage grimaced with disgust as he witnessed the Crawler pull at the stubborn arteries still clinging to the flesh of his fellow comrade like bloody harp strings.

With no more than a small animalistic coo, it grabbed the slain Crawler and dragged it towards another part of the cave.

It suddenly turned back around and snarled threatingly as it heard Ravage's paws hitting the ground behind him. Ravage pounced on the creature, pinning it beneath him. The Crawler, surprised but quick to recover, brought it's naked feet up and pushed against Ravage's abdomen.

Ravage, slightly taken back, pressed his paws against the Crawler's head and unsheathed his claws.

It cried out in agony as Ravage dug his claws into it's skull, drawing out blood as he pushed his head into the rocky surface of the cave's floor like a toddler trying to pop a balloon.

After several moments of the creature crying in agony and struggling, Ravage managed to break the back of his skull with a crunch. Ravage continued digging the Crawler's head into the ground, all the while giving it small twists as if he was squeezing the juice out of an orange, until the Crawler finally stopped shrieking.

Ravage slowly retracted his claws and pulled out his flesh, a new coat of sticky blood rolling of his paws and onto the cave's ground.

He looked at his kills, mentally smirking to himself. He was already starting to feel a little bit better...

Another screech echoing in a nearby passage caused him to look up.

But there was no shame in trying to reach _full_ satisfaction.

He lifted his paws and stepped over the fallen Crawler and headed towards the dark passage the beckoned him to add another kill to his growing collection.

* * *

_**THE NEMESIS  
TIME: EXPIRED**_

**((Ravage acknowledge.))**

Same as the last attempt; no answer.

_"Ravage acknowledge."_

Logic and instinct informed him something was wrong.

Ravage always answered his calls; wither over the Decepticon Comm channel or through the link. He hadn't received a response for either but the link wasn't void of his presence, a clear indicator that even though Ravage was online, something was keeping him from answering his calls.

Cause was evident.

Ravage was in trouble.

Soundwave set to work trying to locate Ravage's location.

A red indictor dot showed the approximate area where Ravage was, though it was not a strong signal.

Soundwave pulled up the topographical map of that area.

It was a densely forested and mountainous region, containing several caves systems nearby. Though unlikely, Soundwave suspected that the reason Ravage's signal was so weak was because he had ventured into the caves. For what purpose Soundwave couldn't be sure until his cassette was back at the base for questioning.

Soundwave's blue hand reached for the button on his shoulder. There were only two cassettes that could fit in those cave systems…

"Rumble, Frenzy; eject. Operation; search and escort."

_**To be continued...**_

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**A/N:** Next chapter will have more dialogue. With Rumble and Frenzy venturing in the caves, you can count on it. Hope you liked it and see you next chapter. :)


	2. Return

**A/N**: Just want to say thank you to everyone for all the reviews, fav, alert subscriptions etc. It's all is greatly appreciated!

Originally I was going to make this chapter the last chapter, but it has become longer than expected. So here is the 'second' chapter.

Hope you enjoy the story nonetheless! :) Thanks again for the support and enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything in this fic...

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_**FLESH STALKERS**_

**Chapter 2**

**"Return"**

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_**APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS/CHATOOGA NATIONAL PARK, U.S.A  
CHAPEL MINE**_

For being such a traumatic incident in the caves one would tend to remember the area where it happened, unfortunately for Rumble and Frenzy who both had pushed their time in the caves out of their processors had no idea that the caves they would be venturing into would become familiar very quickly.

For now… they stayed contently lost in their own little world...

"I'm tellin' ya Frenz ya laugh if you'd see it." Rumble laughed as he walked by his brother alone the river's edge, drowing out the sounds of nocturnal birds 'whooing' in the distance.

"Is it anythin' like the 'Greatest Freak Out Ever' vid?" questioned Frenzy. "Cause that fleshie was fraggin' funny!"

They both laughed. "Not that one's pretty good but trust me Frenz, if the Autobots saw the vid of the Double Rainbow guy, they switch to our side," Rumble laughed.

"Eh nah, they probably still say _'there is hope for them'_ or some stupid slag like that," Frenzy dismissed with the wave of his hand.

"Yeah probably," Rumble shrugged, agreeing. "Anotha funny vid is 'Alien Prank Goes Wrong.' "

They turned the corner on the old dirt path and marched up the slope to a dark structure in the distance. As they neared, their conversation dwindled until the only noise in the night was their feet crunching the dirt as they walked. The environment around them giving them both a strange sense of creeping horror that ran through their circuitry, especially when the building ahead revealed itself from the cover of the night and nearby conifers' shadow.

They looked at the old abandoned barn, now grey from years of weather that peeled the white coat of paint, and the long clock-like tower adjacent to the barn with hesitance. They looked at each other; their face's hiding the fact that they were both as equally nervous even though they couldn't point out why. Nevertheless, they pushed on; passing by a rusted red antique truck missing a few of it's necessary parts and other junk piles.

"Are you sure this is where the boss told us to go?" questioned Rumble as they grew closer, a strange ominous feeling taking hold of him.

"Yep... this is the closest opening to Ravage," Frenzy said. "He say's there's an old mine shaft tha' leads down ta an underground cave system or somethin..." Frenzy trailed off slightly, an old memory resurfacing. "Hey Rumble...?"

"Ya?" questioned the purple and blue mech.

Frenzy paused, a pondering frown on his face. The corner of his mouth tugged and he shook his head. "Nothin..."

Frenzy got a chill as they looked at the half covered and rusty rail tracks that led inside the barn. Frenzy walked forward, Rumble close behind him. Darkness cloaked them as they entered the old structure, the wooden walls creaking from the wind outside. They looked at the caving and construction instruments hanging on the rusty hooks nearby, giving the place a definite abandoned atmosphere as their shadows danced over the walls, ground and them.

Then they looked upon the mine shaft in front of them and soon began to feel slightly uncomfortable. Frenzy approached the empty cage, braced his hands against corroded sides of the chain-linked fence and peered down, the cage groaning from his extra weight.

An endless abyss awaited them below like the throat of a monsterous beast...

Even though he had visited a lot of human mines, abandoned or occupied, this one hit him. They weren't even in the caves yet, and yet there was something that told him he wasn't going to like his time down there.

Something hard shoved him in the shoulder plates, causing him to lurch forward. A hand gripped his shoulder-plates and pulled him back. Frenzy turned to face his brother, whose face couldn't hide the half-smirk on his face. Frenzy frowned and narrowed his optics.

"Quit screwin' around fragger," Frenzy scowled.

Frenzy's anger and disdain hit Rumble, immediately causing him to regret playing the joke on him. Perhaps this wasn't the right time to be playing around…

"Sorry Frenz," Rumble mumbled. "Just a joke ya know…"

"Well I ain't in the mood," Frenz spat, placing his hands against the cage again to look down once again, trying to judge the distance.

Rumble stared at the back of Frenzy's head, feeling the uncomfortable aura permeating off his brother and affecting him as well like a sickness. _Frenzy was… afraid?_

"Are ya alright bro?" questioned Rumble, a concerned tone in his vocals.

Frenzy grimaced, thankful his back was to Rumble so he couldn't see his face. "Yeah I'm fine," Frenzy lied. "Let's just get this over with…"

Frenzy lifted one foot over the pit and jumped, his anti-gravity switching on to slow his fall and dropped into the darkness, soon followed by Rumble who hesitated before dropping into the shaft...

* * *

Mining equipment littered their sandy and rocky scenery: old hats, pick-axes and broken lanterns, abandoned and forgotten.

As they worked their way farther down the mines, darkness smothering them with every step into the terrestrial depth, the quieter and more alarmed the two became.

They weren't comfortable. It wasn't because of the claustrophobic walls or the overbearing darkness; it was because this place felt familiar somehow. However, the two didn't want to admit to the other one that they were scared or nervous. Still, someone had to break the silence...

"Why do you think Ravage went down here?" asked Rumble, who trailed behind his brother as their clunky square feet navigated the smooth and abstract floor of the tunnel.

Frenzy, hunched over, turned to look over his shoulder plates. "I don't know… maybe the boss or Megatron sent 'em down here. Maybe there's fuel down here an' we just don't know."

"I hope so," Rumble commented. "Remember the las' cave? Frag I don't wanna go through _that_ again..."

"Me neither," sighed Frenzy.

"But hey, at least it's not the same caves, right?" Rumble quipped optimistically, shrugging his shoulder plates. "The buildin' was the only way in here and last time we came in through the mountain! Ravage probably jus ran his head into the wall or somethin'— it's fraggin' dark in here!"

His processor flashed an image of his cat brother comically running his head into the cave wall and tipping over stiffly; causing Frenzy to laugh with jest. A small warm feeling engulfed his spark…

Maybe their last experience in a cave was getting to them, causing them to be naturally cautious about this one. Truet his cave looked like the Scary Fleshie Caves of Death but that didn't mean this one had demons in it as well.

The chances of ending up in the caves _was _possible but after thinking about it, and being comforted by Rumble's optimism, Frenzy started to feel confident that there was nothing wrong with the cave they were in; they were just being silly and letting negative memories getting the best of their nerves.

There is absolutely, _positively_, nothing hazardous about these caves.

Another tunnel drew ahead, supported by grey wooden beams. The two approached, noticing a sign hanging overhead with faded red lettering...

**'Danger' **was the only word they could make out...

They ignored it and pressed on, failing to notice the skull of a horse resting at the foot of the left beam.

* * *

As they ventured deeper, despite feeling relaxed that it wasn't the Fleshie Caves of Death, they were still weary for themselves and their fellow cyber-cat sibling. What had happened to him and why was he still not answering their calls?

The cave and pitch-dark didn't concern them as much as the well-being of their brother, no matter how much they may not of got along; they were still brothers and caring about each other's wellbeing in a time of need was an unhesitating characteristic they all possessed.

Rumble wouldn't dare to admit it to Frenzy but he was starting to grow very nervous even though he concealed. Ravage was ruthless, independent, smart and deadly… so what in the world could have subdued him?

It was funny how twins could be different but still harbor the same hidden thoughts; Frenzy had the same question running through his processor. The only thing he could think of was perhaps a loose rock that Ravage had walked under at the wrong time.

Frenzy raised a hand to his audio receptor. **((Ravage, it's Frenzy where the frag are you?))**

Again there was no answer.

**((Fraggit you bettah answer!))**

Rumble activated his own comm systems.** ((Come on Ravage...))**

A frustrated and worried Frenzy tried once again. **((Ravage!)) **

There was still no answer, nothing but their echoing voices against the tight caves walls of the room they stopped in. Frenzy and Rumble looked at each other. "I swear I'm gonna kill 'em if he's just messing with us," Frenzy scowled.

Rumble paused, frowning. "Ya but… Rav never does a joke on anybody."

Frenzy looked at his brother, his face blank; trying to hide his concern at Rumble's very true statement. So much for not being afraid of the caves…

Frenzy activated the map of the caves that Soundwave had distributed them, he placed his forearm in front of him and activated a holographic map. He was relieved to see Ravage's dot in the screen, but it still didn't ease his nervous circuitry. They still had a way to go...

Rumble walked to stand by Frenzy, looking at the map.

"Looks like we gotta go through here first," Frenzy said, his finger tracing the serpentine tunnel system.

"I don't know Frenz'… it looks really narrow," Rumble commented. He hated tiny crawl spaces...

Frenzy rolled his optics. "It's a map of the caves dummy, all the tunnels look narrow."

Rumble narrowed his optics. "Hey shuddup Frenzy! That tunnel looks bigger than the stupid one you wanna take!" Rumble argued, pointing another longer tunnel.

"Do ya wanna be in here forever or do ya wanna—!"

A hard _clunking_ sounded behind them, sounding as if a boulder had rolled. They looked at each other.

"You hear tha'?" Frenzy asked.

"Ya! Go see wha' it is!" Rumble blurted without thinking, earning an annoyed and hostile look from Frenzy. Rumble shrugged in embarrassment.

Frenzy rolled his optics.

A flicker of hope hit Rumble and tapped Frenzy with the back of his hand. "Hey maybe it's Ravage!"

Frenzy's optics suddenly narrowed as he raised arm with the holographic map projected swung in front of Rumble's face. "No it ain't," reminding his brother of Ravage' location.

Rumble's hope died instantly and fear flooded his circuitry. Rumble's right arm shifted into a pile driver... Frenzy immediately grabbed it, shaking his head. "Remember wha' happened last time?"

Rumble groaned inwardly, rolled his optics and reformatted it back into it's regular form. Frenzy grimmaced, caught between continuing or backtracking because of his curiosity.

"It's probably nothin' but I'll go check it anyway... since you're so scared..." Frenzy said, walking forward and leaving his brother behind.

"I ain't scared!" cried Rumble. "I'm jus' indifferent ta wanting ta go back down there..."

"_Riiighht... SURE_ ya are bro," Frenzy chastised with a mocking smile.

"Whatevah jus' go see wha' it is!"

Frenzy didn't comment as he made his way back over to the tight passage they just came from. Frenzy squeezed back down, entering sideways like they did previously. His back and chassis rubbed against the rock, the sound of metal and rock grinding together echoed off the walls right into his audio receptor like nails on a chalkboard… and it would only get tighter.

He could see the opening to the small room they came in and the even smaller entrance to the crawl space they had to work through. He reached the end of it and peeked his head through, his arm akimbo in front of him and clutching the side of wall; the only part of his form actually in the room.

He looked around for several moments, trying to find anything out of place despite the fact that he never really did get a good look at the room and its contents before they ventured to tight hall he was in now.

Everything seemed fine; he didn't see anything wrong with the room. Did they imagine it?

"FRENZY!"

Frenzy's head jerked behind him, the echoing thunderous in the passage.

"What?"

"You see anythin'?" called his brother.

"Na nothin', this place is dead," Frenzy called back, turning his head to look at the empty room behind him, somewhat relieved; it was nothing. The cave was just playing tricks on them…

"Alright, don't get stuck turnin' around," Rumble called.

"I won't," Frenzy called back down the tunnel, rolling his optics.

He turned his head back to the empty room, only to find his display blocked.

Frenzy screamed as he attempted to squeeze back through the passage as much and as fast as possible, the screeching of the Crawler that snuck up on him close behind him as it entered the passage after Frenzy.

Shifting from one foot to the other, fear flooded Frenzy as he tried to get away from the rabid fleshy that had Frenzy helpless in the passage that hindered his mobility. The Crawler screamed and even though was thinner than Frenzy, still had to shift sideways to fit in the tunnel, one fleshy hand with sharp talons swinging at Frenzy's arm and causing pain each time it graced him and peeled paint.

The passage grew wider and both Frenzy and the creature could move. Frenzy took off into a sprint the moment he was able to, but the cave dweller was faster. It jumped on his back and brought Frenzy down to his chassis, clawing at Frenzy's back like a hungry zombie.

Rumble stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what was attacking Frenzy.

_Oh frag...not again..._

It growled and screeched as Frenzy and the Crawler wrestled for dominance, both trying to pin each other to get a kill strike.

"Rumble!" his brother managed to get out between grunts of effort and over the deafening sound of the creature's screams.

Instinct told Rumble he should run, but Rumble couldn't flee when it was his own twin in peril; he rushed forward and tried to pull the creature off him despite his fear toward the inhuman monster.

Rumble grasped it under the armpits and pulled it off him, his foot stumbling backwards as the Crawler fought back, flailing its arms and kicking like a child throwing a tantrum.

It managed to slip loose from Rumble, causing him to fall on his aft. The creature turned and advanced on Rumble, hissing aggressively as it crawled on it's hands and feet toward Rumble. However it was pulled back when Frenzy's hand lashed out and grabbed it by the leg and pulled it back.

The Crawler turned on his back and slashed at his restrainer. Frenzy straddled it, grasped it by the throat and with his other fist raised it and pummeled the Crawler's face till his hands were covered in a muck of blended bone, flesh and blood.

Shock invaded them and the sight of the dead Crawler in the room with them, the last of their comfort in the caves finally gone as they finally understood what may have happened to Ravage.

They were back in the caves they feared and hated.

Frenzy fell back on his aft, his hands stained and wet as they laid on his thighs, spotting them with the Crawler's blood. They sat dumbfounded; their air circulating systems winding down as they slowly began to collect themselves after the surprise attack.

Rumble looked at Frenzy who was staring at the dead Crawler with a strange expression. His face was completely blank, almost stone-like as he lay motionless. Rumble made the effort to move and crawled over to sit by him. They sat there for a long moment in silence, contemplating and staring at the flesh creature.

"I knew… I knew I had a bad feeling about this place," Rumble whispered.

"Me too..." muttered Frenzy, "I just wish I was wrong."

Eventually they stood up, knowing that despite their trepidation, the helplessness of being trapped in a place filled with the fleshies that could overpower them and the ominous atmosphere of the terrestrial caves that hid the demons so well, their cat-sibling was still at the mercy of the Crawlers.

_At the mercy of these organic monsters…_

Round one with the Crawlers had been frightening, they had never encountered anything like them before and they were more than happy to escape as soon as possible.

Something had snapped in Frenzy and Rumble could feel it. He was angry and disgusted; Rumble could read it in his face and feel it within the link. Frenzy didn't like being at their mercy and the _fleshie's _having an advantage over them. Monsters or no monster's they were still fleshies and he didn't like having the tables turned on him…

They had hurt Ravage somehow, Frenzy could feel it and he be damned if he let the fraggers get away with it…

Anger flooded him…

"Frenzy?"

Round two would be different.

* * *

Eventually they made their way to a bottomless gorge, similar to the one they had encountered the first time they came to the caves. However, this was a diffrent one according to their readings; there was a bottom and Ravage was somewhere below in another part of the caves.

Rumble and Frenzy looked over the edge.

Rumble grabbed a rock, lifted it over the edge and dropped it, waiting for it to hit bottom.

It seemed to go on for eternity until they heard what sounded like a splash.

Water.

There was water below—but there was no telling how shallow. They heard something grind together and clunk in the distance… more moving rocks in a place they were supposed to be alone in.

Frenzy contemplated about standing his ground and fighting, but for Rumble's sake he decided not to. Besides, he didn't want to draw more attention to them and have them overpower the two— like what he suspected happened to Ravage.

Instead Frenzy dropped to his knee plates and swung his feet over the ledge, the edges of his boxy feet clutching into pockets of dented rock in the walls surface. He slowly lowered himself downward and began to climb down.

Rumble sighed, "Frag..." slowly he began to follow Frenzy, lowering himself down to his knee plates.

Awkwardly, his feet found the same route as Frenzy and he began to lower himself, his hands gripping the sides of the ledge. His optics looked at the crawl space they had came through...

He froze.

One of the monster's crawled through the space, sniffing the air and walking along the ledge passively, not seeming to notice Rumble's presence. Rumble looked down at Frenzy who was still climbing and with one hand signaled him to stop. Frenzy complied, stopping and waiting; listening to the sounds on the ledge above.

Rumble watched the Crawler from his trapped position, unable to keep the horrid expression on his face under control. Though he had seen them up close, he had never seen one so calm—and alive— enough for them to really get a good look at it.

It was utterly grotesque. It's beige face was mushy, puffed and dotted with dirt and dried blood. It's teeth were as sharp and as slick as daggers. Defined and strong superhuman muscles designed for living in the caves pulsated as it walked along the ledge. Rumble shuddered in disgust as saliva dripped from it's snarling mouth, seemingly as if it had gotten a whiff of a foul smell it didn't agree with. It looked in Rumble's direction and he flinched.

_This was it— it spotted him. Frag._

However to Rumble's confusion it didn't react, instead it tilted it's head and retreated back down the crawl space from where it came.

Rumble couldn't help but be confused. _Why didn't it attack them? It looked RIGHT at him! Was it fraggin' blind or something?_

_"Is it gone?"_ questioned Frenzy through the link.

Rumble looked down and nodded, "Yeah."

They continued down with difficulty, their metallic feet and hands clearly not designed for rock climbing; causing them to slip every once in an awhile. Eventually they reached the water. Frenzy quietly lowered himself into the murky, clay colored water, his hand hanging onto the wall so he didn't sink as Rumble lowered himself as well.

Rumble clutched onto the wall as Frenzy lifted his arm out of the water and activated the holographic map. "There should be a hole over there... and then some other holes that we have ta crawl through."

"I'm gettin' sick of crawlin' through stupid holes," Rumble complained with contempt.

"Me too... but we gotta," Frenzy said as he let go of the wall and sank into the water like an anvil. Rumble followed, the water rushing into cracks of his armor.

The 'river' was bleak; nothing but a rocky bottom and a small current that seemed to push against them. Frenzy lifted his hands, signaling Rumble to follow. They moved with the current and walked over the smooth groves of the bottom. that was difficult to walk on; the bottom was slippery as if coated in ice and their smooth feet had little traction on it.

However, they did reach the crawl space that Frenzy had been talking about. Frenzy braced his hands on the sides of the entrance before dissapearing in. Rumble followed, the current holding him up as he entered the hole like an astronaut moving about a space station. He guided himself in the hole and felt himelf sink to the bottom, his heavy weight scratching his chassis against the bottom of the pitch black water tunnel.

They moved with their hands, pulling themselves through the water like a leg-less solider crawling under barbed wire. The tunnel suddenly shifted up and Frenzy flipped over to turn while he used his hands to climb up the walls as well as using his feet in the same manner.

Rumble followed, copying his brother.

Frenzy suddenly halted and Rumble did the same. Past Frenzy's form Rumble could make of the presence of a Crawler entering from a tunnel into their own. It swam up, kicking it's legs to an opening in the surface above.

Rumble cursed to himself. _Great... now they were probably going to have to deal with it when they got up there..._

Frenzy continued to move upwards, hoping that they wouldn't have to deal with it but was ready nevertheless. He broke through the water's surface, surprised to see the Crawler nowhere in sight, and entered into another room; as rocky and empty as many rooms in the caves system, however as empty as this one was, it was vastly different…

Tunnel openings all over the walls and even a couple in the ceiling dotted the walls around them like a bee hive.

Frenzy crawled out, water dripping from his form and washing some of the dried blood away, he helped Rumble out and they stood in disbelief and horror.

Which tunnel do they take?

An animalistic clicking was heard in one of the tunnels to their right and they flinched; then more sounded in more tunnels until it evolved into screeching.

Rumble and Frenzy whirled around, waiting for them to attack; the echoing chamber making it nearly impossible to dictate which tunnel they would pop out of.

"Frenzy which way?" Rumble whispered aggressively through his dental plates; he definitely didn't want to stay and fight.

Growling encompassed them as the first Crawler made his presence known. He entered out one of the tunnels to their right, his feet and hands hit the rocky surface and began to circle them. Another appeared behind them, his head locked in their direction as he also began to circle.

Rumble drew out his gun... but was stopped by Frenzy. "Don't. Ya might hit the tunnel and the rock could come down a block 'em. Remember? Like last time?"

Another Crawler appeared and began to circle them.

"This ain't like las' time…"

Frenzy turned to his brother and shot him a dead serious look. "Still, grease-digits wha if ya hit the wrong one..."

Much to his displeasure he knew Frenzy was right, but he couldn't help but ask…

"Wha' shoul' I use then genius?" Rumble demanded.

The Crawlers hissed at them, their stances low and dangerous like wolves. Frenzy turned to Rumble, his battle computer kicking on and sending bits of eletrical adrenalin through him and answered: "Ya imagination' dumbaft... they're just fleshies..."

The Crawlers were done circling their prey and ready to satisfy their veracious appetites. They sprung on the two, screeching menancingly at them— ready to kill.

Rumble raised his weapon in natural reaction as the Crawler managed to pin him on his back… but simultaneously sealed it's own fate.

Rumble pulled the trigger as his elbow was crushed against his chassis and the barrel of his weapon dug into the Crawler's ribcage. The smell of burnt flesh hit his olfactory sensors and he was quick and eager to roll the Crawler off him… only to meet the second one.

Frenzy rushed forward and with a powerful upper-cut punched the Crawler under the jaw, sending it flying on it's back— breaking it's face. Frenzy stomped down on it again and again as if his own leg was one of his pile drivers. It cried out as Frenzy pounded bones into it's internal organs. One Crawler jumped on his back and began to blindly pull and claw at the wiring beneath his shoulder plates.

Frenzy ran backwards and rammed the Crawler into the wall, but even then it didn't give up.

Frenzy then threw his head back, head-butting the Crawler's face. It seemed to work; the Crawler halted, dazed with pain.

Frenzy grabbed the Crawler's arm and flipped him over his shoulder. It hit the ground with a pained grunt and Frenzy stomped on the Crawler as he did before. He turned around, facing a hole only to have another spring at him through the hole and pin him on his back. Frenzy used his arm to shield itself as it attempted to reach for his face and throat.

Rumble finished subduing his own Crawler, blood spraying in his face as he beat the Crawler with a large rock he found nearby. He rushed over to his brother and began to hit the Crawler in the back of the skull.

_"Soundwave…"_

Rumble's head jerked at the sound of Ravage's strained voice in the link...

Ravage was alive!

The Crawler sprang on him and lashed at Rumble's throat, scratching his paint and nearly cutting an exposed fuel line at the base of his neck. Rumble stumbled backwards in response, clutching his throat. Frenzy sprung on the Crawler, tackling him to the ground and grabbing the back of his head and smashing it into the ground. It screeched in agony between contact before finally growing quiet.

Blood soaked the two as exhaustion weighed heavily upon them—but they were victorious and alive. They had killed the Crawlers and Ravage had finally given them a shred of relief. The moment was a good one and they savored; Frenzy smiled.

_"Ravage, where are ya?" _called Frenzy through the link, blood dripping down his arm.

_"Frenzy...?"_

_"Yeah where are ya in the caves?"_

_"...You're... in the caves?"_

_"Yeah. Where are ya?__ Are ya hurt or somethin?"_

_"Yes..." _Ravage answered tiredly. _"Just follow the screeching and you will find me..."_

There was an awkward pause.

_"Jus' the screeching huh?" _Rumble questioned. _"Your sure it's not the trail of body parts?"_

_"Quiet and do as I say," _Ravage shot back,_ "and be silent, there are many here..."_

Rumble and Frenzy looked at each other. Rumble sighed tiredly, "This is gonna be _fun_," was Rumble's bitter and sarcastic comment.

* * *

**A/N**: Sorry to leave it at a cliffhanger but the sooner I post the sooner I can get the inspiration flowing and hopefully deliver a fast and awesome climax! Thanks for reading and see ya next time! :)


	3. Escape Part 1

**A/N: **Ah crap... I cannot believe how long (length and time-wise) this is taking me. I said that this would be the last chapter but looks like I am not going to be able to hold up to my own promise. :( So I apologize for the confusion, looks like there is going to be more chapters. The reason why is though I outline my story new ideas come, some of them did not even come from my own cerebellum...

Many thanks to **Taipan Kiryu **who suggested an awesome idea. Also to **pacificuser **who suggested more action. I always try to take every critique/suggestion into consideration— it helps me grow as a writer. :)

So I hope you won't mind if the story will take a longer time to be completed. Consider this part 1 of the climax. Also, many thanks to everyone who has continued to read, review, fav, subscribe for this story. Love you all!

**Disclaimers:** I own nothing from the Descent and Transformers universe...

* * *

_**FLESH STALKERS**_

**Chapter 4**

**"Escape (Rumble)"**

* * *

After several trials and errors, they eventually found a tunnel that seemed to be leading them in the right direction—it grew nosier the deeper they went.

The tunnel was very narrow for the two Transformers; their arms and hands had to be in straight out in front of them in order for them to be able to squirm down the tunnel. It was nauseatingly claustrophobic for them but, ironically, hearing the Crawler's in the distance fueled them to push on, knowing that Ravage was there and their ordeal would at least be halfway over.

With Frenzy in the lead, Rumble had the luxury of his brother not being able to see that he was struggling. Every inch of the tunnel seemed out to get him, all sides trying to hinder his movements, causing him to lose ground as his brother crawled ahead of him… and Rumble didn't want to be left behind.

He pulled his arms back towards himself, causing his back to arch slightly so he could lift his chassis and try and use his arms more effectively. He crawled forward, trying to catch up...

He didn't move.

He tried again.

Nothing.

In desperation he tried again with the same result.

Panic set in.

"F-Frenzy..." he groaned in discomfort."...Frenzy..."

Frenzy stopped, hearing his brother strangled voice behind him. "Wha? What is it Frenz?"

"I-I think I'm... I'm stuck... Frenzy I'm stuck!"

Frenzy bit his bottom lip component; trying to hold back his anger, "Fraggit Rumble…" He groaned with frustration.

Frenzy sighed heavily as he slowly calmed down. "Okay... umm..."— Frenzy looked up ahead, knowing that if he attempted to move backward he might get stuck as well—" Lemme get to tha' end first okay bro?"

"Wha? No! Fraggit I need help!"

Frenzy cursed. _Why did he have to get stuck **now **of all times?_

"Okay… I'll try and move backwards," Frenzy grimaced, not wanting to take the chance but knowing he was left with no choice. Carefully he moved backwards, nervousness flooding him as he wormed his way backwards.

Rumble continued trying to break free, struggling in vain with no result. He could only wiggle in the few centimeters of space the tunnel mercilessly provided.

"Okay do ya see my foot?"

"...y-yeah I see it..."

"I want ya to grab it and I'll pull ya okay?" Frenzy called to his brother, unable to really know what kind of position he was stuck in.

"I can't Frenz... my hands are stuck I can't get 'em free..."

"Yes ya can," Frenzy told him, false optimistic eagerness in his vocals. "You jus' think you're stuck because you can't move. Just work 'em little by little and you will get 'em— ya just need one hand!"

_"Keep your voices down now!" _Ravage shouted through the link. _"They can hear you both!"_

Immediately the twins quieted down and froze in the tunnel. Frenzy and Rumble waited for any and all sounds. Frenzy's optics widened…

A slender and clawed hand peeked over the ledge of the tunnel's end. Another shot vertically to grip the rocks above the tunnel's entrance. A blind feminine face behind strands of greasy dark hair appeared, it's blind eyes looking down the hole as her oily hair swayed heavily with her movements. Frenzy's jaw dropped in horror; between the female Crawler and his immobile brother he was trapped.

Her hands entered the tunnel and though she only suspected a disturbance, she still growled viciously as if to warn.

Her long slender body stretched forward as she crawled on her hands and the tips of her toes. The tunnel not hindering her movements like thier bulky, square forms did sent a shiver of terror through Frenzy who had no way to move in defense against her.

Though in a very limited position, Frenzy wouldn't go down without a fight; as quietly as he could muster his hand transformed into a drill tip. It slid out with a mettalic clink; as sharp and as slender as an ice pick...

Her head tilted and she grunted…

She heard him.

She moved quickly down the tunnel at them and Frenzy prepared himself, his optics narrowing…

However she never did strike.

Ravage saved them.

He let out a loud battle growl… which was followed by an unnaturally high-pitched cry— distracting her. She stopped, screeched and nimbly moved backwards to the end. Climbing backwards she crawled over the edge… coming for Ravage.

Frenzy narrowed his optics and moved, motivated. He crawled faster, seemingly forgetting about his brother who was still stuck—Ravage was in more trouble.

Rumble, who couldn't stand to be stranded in the tunnel helpless, wiggled with more vigor, twisting until one of his arms painfully slipped from his chest and scratched across the floor, earning a slight pained cry from him as rock tore off paint and scratched his armor— but he was free.

He moved, determination in his optics as he shuffled forward as fast as he could, but taking caution to make sure he didn't get stuck a second time.

Frenzy could hear the female Crawler growl louder, as well as Ravage who sounded as if he was fighting back. Frenzy crawled faster. When he reached the end he couldn't help but halt at the entrance at what he saw…

It was some sort of birthing/ nursing chamber.

Female Crawlers with their blind, demonic infants habituated the chamber, a disgusting mix of sweat, shit and rotting meat hung in the humid environment… it was the foulest smell his olfactory sensors had ever come across— and Ravage was in the middle of it.

Frenzy dropped into the birthing room and ran towards the female Crawler beating and clawing at Ravage's side like a ravenous lioness and shrieking like a bat from hell. He tackled her around the torso, pinning her on her chest. She clawed for Frenzy's face, swiping mindlessly at him as if hoping ot get lucky. Frenzy whipped his drill-tipped hand through the air, trying to get a clear shot to drive the tip in— but she wouldn't give him the opportunity voluntarily.

She brought her legs up, curled them and tried to knee him off her. She managed to push him back with a vicious kick to the face.

Frenzy's face contorted with anger and he flared, with a battle-cry he brought the drill down, activated it's spinning tip and drove it into the female Crawler's skull before she had time to defend herself. Blood sprayed as she shrieked but eventually she stopped and Frenzy pulled it out to return to Ravage.

Frenzy retreated away from the dead Crawler and made his way to Ravage, coming to his side. "You ok?"

Ravage definitely had better days. He lay on his right side; his armor scratched, dented and with several areas of paint peeled off from finger-nail slashes. Organic blood— Crawler blood—mixed with his own, covered his body, face and claws. Frenzy noticed that his right optic was duller than his more functional one and several wires had been pulled. His hind legs appeared paralyzed, he was about to ask when suddenly his attention was diverted to the hissing that pounded in his audio receptor and chilled his circuitry.

There were other female Crawlers in the caves and they could detect his presence. Three crawled towards him, snarling like hellish harpies, their infants and toddlers behind them. Frenzy turned back to Ravage and noticed something under his claws...

A slain newborn.

That was why she retreated...

Rumble finally reached the end of the tunnel, looked upon the spectacle happening and froze... waiting for someone else to make the first move.

Frenzy rose to his feet and placed himself in front of Ravage, his drill whirring dangerously— ready. He looked from female to female, trying to see with of the three was the more eager.

They continued to stalk towards him slowly, trying to let him get the full-extent of how determined they were. The hissed and neared slowly, trying to block off any escape route that thier intruder might take to try and attack their young.

Frenzy narrowed his optics behind his now blood-stained visor. He was ready...

_"Kill them..." _Ravage telepathically seethed, growling dangersouly at them as if he was also prepared to fight to the death.

_"What do ya think I'm gonna do?" _Frenzy replied back.

The female on the left sprang forward, attacking Frenzy and sending them both flying over Ravage and onto the ground behind him. They rolled in the decayed meat, Frenzy astonished at the strength the female possessed. As a limb frailed, blood and entrails were flung through the air as if the two were in a disgusting mud-wrestling match.

Another female came for Ravage, sensing he was a capable predator, but was stopped when Rumble jumped, used his anti-gravity to control his movements and stomped down on the female's back as he landed— and once more on the back of her neck. She cried out once and stopped. Dead.

Rumble turned to meet the next one as his brother continued to fight with his own. The last female Crawler advanced on Rumble, charging him. Rumble brought his hand back and punched the female Crawler's face, sending her on her back. Rumble's arm shifted into a pile-driver and brought it down— his pile-driver's strength minimal but deadly. Simple and quick.

Sharp needles pierced his leg and Rumble cried out, looked down and saw one of the toddlers sinking their teeth into the wires in his legs they managed to pull from the cracks in his armour. Rumble stomped on the toddler as if it was a bug and procedded to do that with the other children that advanced. He grabbed them and flung them into the walls like rag dolls, kicked them like footballs and swated them like mosquitos until none came after him.

Frenzy rolled, tring to get the upper-hand but she was quick to roll him back to his back. She lunged for his neck and tried to rip out whatever her teeth sank into. Frenzy brought his arm up and blocked the attack, hitting her across the face. She dropped stunned but quickly recovered to come after him again. Frenzy was ready...

He drove the tip in. Blood and a defeaning shriek and then she was done.

The Crawler's infant cries were the only noises into the caves. Another victory to savor in, but there was no elation—just disgust.

Frenzy lifted himself from the rotting pile of miscellaneous animal meat and their innards, blood covered and blended into his paintjob, making him shiver with repulsion.

Rumble, between anxiety and on the same level of disgust as Frenzy, carefully made his way over to Ravage for the first time to see the damage. Rumble's optics widened as he looked down.

"What the frag did they do to ya Rav?"

Ravage's head, which had been staring in Rumble's direction carefully dropped back to the floor as his upper-lip twitched upwards into snarl; almost as if in a disappointed and embarrassed manner.

Frenzy frowned, looking down at Ravage. For some reason he felt very angry about how Ravage had rejected answering Rumble's question, though it was how he expected Ravage to answer (as stubborn as he was) Frenzy still felt something out of place— especially when his latest question ran through his processor over and over...

Why would Ravage be sent to investigate the same place twice?

Frenzy looked down at the dead infant by Ravage's paw and then back to Ravage and nodded his thanks.

_"Unfortunately... the female Crawlers are meager to another threat— we must move quickly. He'll be back soon and I doubt he'll enjoy the carnage you caused..."_

"Who?" Rumble asked, knowing he would regret the answer.

Ravage brought his head up and stared at them with cold serious optics. _"I was not attacked here... I was ambushed by what I think was the alpha of these animals in another part of the caves."_

Frenzy scoffed with bitter amusement. If the tight corridors of the caves, the Crawlers, the even scarier female Crawlers and a damaged Ravage weren't enough, the knowledge of a Crawler equivalent to Motormaster's strength definitely was the _'cherry on the sundae' _as the humans put it.

"Fraggin great..." groaned Frenzy as he shook his head, pacing the cave.

_"When he attacked he disconnected my primary function wires... I don't remember very much after that... I had just woken up the first time we spoke,"_ Ravage concluded.

Rumble carefully rolled Ravage to his other side, assessing the damage. He grimaced when he saw the bleeding fuel lines and the function wires cut in the cracks of his armor... his hands must have reached in and pulled out quickly.

_"We cannot stay..." _Ravage told them. _"If I was dragged here— like these remains— then there is no doubt that he will return."_

Frenzy's optics caught sight of an entrance... the entrance to a hall, short but easy for them to walk through if they hunched over. Frenzy mentally kicked himself. Why didn't they use that path?

Frenzy turned back to Ravage, still holding his rare feelings of suspicion towards him. He hadn't mentioned why he was in the caves in the first place. Perhaps it wasn't his place question Ravage... that was Soundwave's responsibility; his responsibility was getting Ravage to their creator so he could find out later...

"Then let's get outta here before he get's back..." Frenzy said, kneeling down to look at his back legs. "I think the boss is gonna have ta fix ya."

"Then how are we gonna get him outta here Frenz'? He can't move his legs..."

Frenzy sighed. His optics rolling behind his visor as he glanced over at his brother.

* * *

The scratching of hooves against rough rock was drowned out by the intimidating grunts as the Alpha dragged his newest kill to his harem's breeding lair.

The hooves of the deer hit something but he paid little attention to it, thinking it was nothing more than a rock. The massive male Crawler pressed on, turning the corner of earth-made hallway...

The Cassettes remained pinned to the wall, Rumble so tightly he was crushing Ravage who was slung on the purple's Cassette's shoulder like an injured sheep, his hands holding onto Ravage's legs like backpack straps.

Frenzy couldn't believe the sheer size of the Crawler, it was nearly as bulky and as big as them when the twins were their normal size— and not scrunched down to their 'human-size' proportions for their cave expedition, he also couldn't believe that Ravage was right about the Crawler being completely blind...

He wished he could have figured that out before they had Ravage tell them. It just never crossed his processor. At least they knew what they needed to do to avoid detection now. Especially from the muscular and dangerous Alpha that would be on their heels when he found his dead females.

_"Locate the Bone Pit and I will be able to show you the way out,"_ Ravage instructed through the link.

_"You mean tha' scary trash heap with all the fraggin body parts everywhere?"_ Rumble questioned, taking Ravage's advice and only conversing telepathically.

_"Yes. The same,"_ Ravage answered.

_"Oh... okay,"_ Rumble frowned with puzzlement. _"How do ya know so much of where ta go?"_

Frenzy couldn't help but to turn and glance at Ravage.

_"Because unlike you too I actually use my processors when in these caves. I don't scream needlessly and draw attention to myself."_

Rumble flared, feeling belittled by the comment. He couldn't help himself...

"Fraggit we didn't know they were blind okay just drop it Ravage!" Rumble blurted out-loud.

Rumble's optics widened in horror and immediate regret— realizing his mistake. Frenzy and Ravage optics flashed at Rumble in anger, an expression of _"You idiot!"_ mirroring on both Ravage and Frenzy's face.

The unmistakable sound of the Alpha's roar thundered through the hall...

Frenzy took off, Rumble's heavy footsteps behind him as they ran. Frenzy turned, squeezing through a crack in the wall that seemed to lead to another corridor. Rumble turned sideways and entered with Ravage on his back. Ravage's side scraped the sides of the wall, a chunk of rock probing his dented side. He hissed, narrowing his optics.

_"Careful!" _Ravage seethed sarcastically.

_"Sorry!" _

Frenzy continued to lead, his sides occasionally scratching against the walls of the narrowing passage. He stopped momentarily to check his holographic map. They were close to the Bone Pit; the chamber was supposedly above them.

A roar echoed off the walls caught their attention, causing them to turn sharply. Rumble stopped in his tracks, Frenzy continuing to step backwards.

Gravity hit him, weightlessness and then cold unforgiving rock. Pain.

Frenzy lifted his hands, braced them against the rock floor and pushed himself up. His legs wobbly... it had all happened so fast. What _had _happened?

"Frenz! You okay?"

Rumble's voice bounced in all directions, trapped like he was in the hole he had fallen into...

"Yeah I'm fine!" Frenzy called above him, seeing his brother's glowing red visor on the edge, Ravage's optics upon him as well.

The Alpha's grunting echoed off the walls of the corridors, signaling his dangerous closeness to them.

_"Go, I'll catch up with ya. Jus' keep goin straight an' there will be a tunnel to your right that takes ya to the Bone Pit,"_ Frenzy communicated. _"Go!"_

Frenzy could feel Rumble's conviction about leaving him alone in his well-like prison but knew he was right, he followed his brother's advice and took off—using the directions he gave him.

Frenzy shrunk into the wall as much as possible, sinking down as much as the floor would allow him to go. His optics dimmed as he heard the soft but heavy fleshy patting of the Alpha's feet against rock. His arms braced against the round circular walls he waited… the grunting grew closer.

Then the world went mute; as if the Alpha had been plucked from the world. Frenzy didn't hear him.

An unusual panic set in; it was one thing to hear the Alpha, it was another thing not to be able to..

Frenzy frowned in confusion. Why was he so quiet all of a sudden? Unless...

He knew Frenzy was there.

Frenzy waited. Every astro-second agonizing.

* * *

Rumble's feet clapped against the surface of the water as he dodged by bulky calcium-deposits and hanging stalactites that mirrored the spiky floor of the cave—the pond growing deeper as he ran towards the entrance ahead.

Ravage hissed when water splashed in his face. _"What did I say about noise!"_

_"Well I don't have a lotta of options Rav! It's a fraggin pond!"_

_"You could at least tread the water instead of running through it," _Ravage hissed impatiently.

Rumble scowled. "Ravage if you weren't hurt I'd punch ya," Rumble replied back.

Ravage smirked mentally; oddly amused by his cassettes threat. Ravage looked back at the entrance of the tunnel they had just fled out off, his optics squinting in suspicion.

_"Stop," _Ravage commanded.

Rumble complied; waist-deep in the 'pond' and stopped next to a bulky calcium-deposit. _"Why?" _Rumble questioned, alarm starting to flood his systems.

Ravage listened intently, his optics scanning the entrance with confusion and personally questioning if his audio receptors were in fact deceiving him.

_"I don't hear him," _Ravage told Rumble.

A hopeful glint lighted Rumble's visor. _"Maybe he gave up or took a different route or somethin'..."_

_"Perhaps..."_ Ravage replied back. _"Or perhaps he is quiet because he is hunting... which means he has caught up to us."_

Rumble sighed, feeling something die inside._ "Thanks Ravage."_

_"Go... tread the water quietly," _Ravage instructed him. _"I know where we are, the Bone Pit is beyond that next system."_

Rumble paused, his optics squinting slightly._ "How do ya know where everything is so well?" _questioned Rumble.

Ravage paused. _"Because I pay attention,"_was Ravage's reply.

Rumble turned his body and met an audio-splitting scream and a set of teeth in front of him.

Rumble jumped in surprise and lifted Ravage off his shoulder-plates like a bag of flour, sending the cyber-cat into the water behind him. The Crawler, who was camouflaged against the chunky calcium deposit sprang from his mineral structure like a violent lizard and latched onto Rumble. Rumble fell backwards, the weight of the Crawler on him, and created a giant splash; his back roughly scratching against the cave floors under the water. Rumble managed to push him off, allowing him to stand.

Water sprayed as Rumble shot up to meet the Crawler ready to kill him. Rumble charged forward, creating violent ripples and tackled the Crawler— driving the flesh-bag into a rocky stalagmite that protruded from the pool of water. The stone buckled form the force of the hit and the two went tumbling into the water, the broken and sharp chunks of the rock splashing in the water nearby.

The Crawler, phased but still alive and kicking, pounced on Rumble, landing on his chassis. Rumble brought his elbow up to the creature's throat and tried to push it away as it used his weight and deadly determination to try and slash at Rumble who was pinned under the water.

Rumble's hands snaked through the murky water frantically until he found what he was looking for...

He brought the sharp end of the broken stalagmite tip and rammed it into the Crawler's skull. The Crawler screeched, trashing about the water like a madman trying to get away until Rumble pulled it out and drove it in deeper than before— ending the fight. Rumble resurfaced, blood swirling in the rippling water as he pushed the dead Crawler away.

He vented out hot air that burned his shaky circuitry before he turned to try and find Ravage. He approached his cat brother lounging uncomfortably in the water, his head above the surface but the rest of his body concealed.

He lifted Ravage back onto his shoulder-plates, grunting slightly from exhaustion as water showered over his form.

He stepped forward and couldn't help but let out a bitter: "Pay attention huh Rav? Where were ya on tha' one?"

Ravage's fangs bared at Rumble. It was embarrassing enough that he didn't see the hiding Crawler but his fellow Cassette rubbing it in didn't help— especially when it was Rumble of all mechs.

Rumble, before he prepared to enter the next tunnel that would lead them to the Bone Pit, turned to look behind him. Frenzy's presence still not among them, causing worry to flood his spark. Ravage sensed his uneasiness...

_"He'll be fine— if he has a map he can find the way out,"_ Ravage told him.

_"Ya bettah be right,"_ Rumble replied, the words unconsciously leaving his lips as he reluctantly turned to head down the tunnel.

* * *

The Bone Pit was just as horrific as Rumble remembered it; grotesque, bloody, the air nauseatingly potent with rotting flesh decaying in a humid environment; almost as bad as the nursery (almost). _Gross..._

Ironically he had never been glad to see it— they were almost free. Though Rumble still held a deep concern for Frenzy; being separated from his twin was unbearable— especially in this place...

_"Be careful, there tend to be many that gather here..."_

_"I know Ravage— I've been here too remembah?" _Rumble snapped telepathically.

Ravage didn't respond; scoffing mentally.

Rumble stepped forward, passing by the towers of ivory bones as he carefully stepped in the pool of blood to avoid them. Rumble's leg lifted and navigated the bloody carcasses, stepping as light as his clunky metallic feet could offer; the silence in the chamber haunting and not to be trusted...

Sand stuck to the bottom of his feet...

_"Use the sand,"_ Ravage instructed him.

Rumble nodded once and did as Ravage told him; knowing he was right. With Ravage still slung across his shoulder-plates he walked quietly until Ravage stopped him.

_"That tunnel will take you to an entrance that is not usually guarded by them,"_ he told them.

Frenzy had not been the only one suspicious of Ravage, wither it because they were twins they shared the same line of thoughts or because Ravage had refused to answer them, but that finally connected the pieces of the puzzle. The way he knew how many there were in the chambers was unsettling and rose a red flag...

_"I get it..."_ Rumble nodded, anger flooding him as he nodded knowingly. _"You've been done here more than once **haven't **ya Ravage?"_

Ravage's optic-ridge quirked, sensing Rumble's sudden mood change. Ravage turned his head so his fangs were on the side of Rumble's audio receptor. _"And what of it?" _he growled.

A wave of anger and disbelief washed over. He scoffed involuntarily. _"Why?" _he demanded._ "Why would ya come back down here?"_

Before Ravage could answer, a splash was heard in another part of the chamber, slightly muffled from the piles of bones and their discussion was suddenly moved to the back of his processor— but not forgotten.

Rumble approached the entrance suggested by Ravage, keeping a weary optic on the pile the sound originated from, as his feet dodged bones lying in his path. He reached the tunnel and immediately ran, hoping to gain distance from the possible Crawler/ Crawlers in the cave.

He ran, the tunnel growing narrower— a constant repetitive theme that was beginning to annoy him— with some difficulty but nevertheless quickly; the walls scratching his sides as he turned sideways to fit inside a nook in the rock.

For several long minutes he continued to work his way through the confusing maze-like corridors that Ravage told him to take. That flicker of anger flaring in Rumble's spark as he grudgingly followed his cyber-cat's orders; no doubt in his mind now that he had been here more than twice.

_"Through here..." _Ravage told him, indicating the small crawl-space.

Rumble dropped to his knees, allowing them to fit inside the smaller tunnel. He skidded on his knee-plates as quickly as he could with Ravage's added weight suppressing his movements and hunching him forward— a very uncomfortable position for him.

A Crawler's growl reverberated off the walls behind him, informing Rumble of the creature's close distance to them.

_"STOP!" _

Rumble stopped... his optics sputtering spasmodically in alarm as he looked down to see that another centimeter and they both would have tumbled into the gorge. He looked down into the massive trench and across it... seeing the other side and the next corridor awaiting them.

Rumble's processor raced... how was he going to get Ravage across?

A carnal bat-like screech caused him to turn to see the Crawler racing towards him like a ravenous zombie.

Rumble skidded forward and fell off the ledge...

He brought his feet down and activated his anti-gravity in mid-fall, a sigh of relief escaping him as he gently navigated to the other side. The Crawler on the other side, screeching angrily from the meal it was deprived from.

Rumble's feet touched the other side and he turned back to the Crawler with a triumphant smirk...

That quickly vanished when he saw the Crawler using the hanging stalactites to climb across the ceiling after him. Rumble turned and fled, trepidation hitting him like a jackhammer in the spark.

Rumble heard the Crawler's feet hit the ground behind him... he would be on his aft now.

_"In about a hundred feet there will be an incline which is slippery but beyond that incline will be daylight," _Ravage told him, fueling him.

Rumble smiled, an awkward laugh escaping his vocalizer as he soon found his feet trekking up, the ground turning into a slope in the narrow corridor.

Rumble could still hear the Crawler behind him, screeching and trying to catch up with him.

A hand shot out from a crack in the wall, surprising Rumble as he jumped into the opposite wall and let out an involuntarily scream. The Crawler beyond the wall trying to snatch a meal on the other side like a starving prisoner.

Rumble passed by bone-piles littering the ground around him before he was forced to jump on them and continue; the floor completely covered in remains. They crunched like sticks under his weight and hindered his speed as if they were part of an obstacle course...

But he could see daylight beaming on them, lighting the cave...

Rumble soon became victim to Ravage's warning, the slope became very steep and his feet began to slip as if they were coated in grease. Rumble released one his hands holding Ravage on his shoulders and used it to pull himself up.

The Crawler finally caught up and began to crawl up the slope after him, his naked feet having better traction on the rocky slope but Rumble reached the surface first...

Rumble's damaged fingers reached for the sky as they punched through, his form rising from the ground like seedling looking for sun. After hours of running through muggy conditions in the caves the fresh forest air circulating through his vents was like a breath of new life. His blood-covered and dirty fingers reached out for the roots and moss of the forest ground and pulled; it was like lifting fifty pounds with a pinky. He broke through with Ravage on his back, his feet hit the ground the texture feeling wonderful...

He wasn't safe yet.

Rumble turned his visor in the direction of the hole to see the Crawler had followed him out and was still charging him, unwilling to let it's prey go that even if it was out of the caves.

Rumble narrowed his optics from behind his visor, set Ravage off his shoulder-plates and turned to face the hellish monster. Rumble, his face contorted in rage, brought his foot back and kicked the Crawler in the chest.

The Crawler flipped onto his back... and Rumble pounced on him, straddling him as if the roles had been reversed—Rumble was now the attacker.

Rumble punched the Crawler in the jaw with deadly force. The Crawler cried out in agony and swiped blindly for Rumble. Rumble grabbed it's wrist and with a cruel twist broke the bones in it's arms. Another pained shriek. The noise bothered the Cassette and he wanted the thing to shut up.

Rumble stood, his legs on both sides, lifted his foot and stomped on it's head, a fresh coat of blood spraying from it's mouth and onto his purple legs.

For a good long moment Rumble stared lividly at the dead Crawler before him and with nothing more than a scowl. He turned around and picked up Ravage. Slinging him back over his shoulder-plates and taking off down the mountain. Hoping Frenzy was somewhere nearby…

* * *

Rumble hiked tiredly down the Appalachian mountain trail he found after bushwhacking for an hour, the sun at high noon and heating up the usually wet mountain scenery; giving life to plants and light to nearby animals.

He was surrounded by noise; chirping, the nearby river thundering down the mountain as it rolled over rocks and an unnatural chatty sound... one that immediately sent Rumble into an inconsolable rage.

The family of hikers stopped dead in their tracks when they saw the Decepticon covered in blood on the path; their happy and campy excursion in the National Park suddenly taking an unexpected turn.

Rumble stared at them with hatred, his face-plates exhibiting a somewhat demonic expression at them. For at that moment he didn't see the civilized humans... he saw the Crawlers— a more pathetic mutation of them; Crawlers with manners and morals.

The three children, the teenage boy and the twin girls hid behind their nature-hugging weak father; not a single dominant muscle feature on him. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down in fear as he stared at the robot that looked like had come straight out of a horror movie...

"P-Please..." he trembled, looking on the verge of wetting himself.

Rumble rolled his optics from behind his visor, his anger disappearing as he stared at the weak meat-bag. They couldn't strike fear into a field mouse...

Rumble suddenly opened his mouth, screaming and charging at them like an immature teen would do to a flock of seagulls; striking fear into them without actually threatening their lives.

"DAHHH! GET OUTTA HERE YA FLESHBAGS!"

They flinched; too terrified to make a move even though told to.

"DON'T MAKE ME COME AFTAH YA!"

They didn't need to be told a third time, they took the Decepticon's orders and ran like hell.

The flapping of fleeing birds and their retreating footsteps were the only sounds that lingered in the air as Rumble stood fuming where he was, displeasure towards the fleshlings still coursing through him.

Ravage rolled his optics. _"Very mature of you Rumble."_

Rumble didn't answer to Ravage's sarcastic comment. The cyber-cat tilted his head curiously, sensing Rumble's hatred for the humans not merely because they were human... but because of what they resembled.

_"Now you understand..."_ Ravage told him.

"Understan' what?" snapped Rumble, turning minutely to Ravage.

_"Take the situation you just had with the humans and reverse it,"_ Ravage said, _"And you will find the reason why I ventured into the caves."_

Rumble scowled, his processor racing to understand Ravage's riddle...

The humans made Ravage angry... so he took his rage out on the Crawlers. Though Rumble could understand Ravage's point of view, it hardly justified his actions that sent them back to the caves they hated.

A sharp pain in his audio receptors made him recoil. His optics flickered as pain engulfed his helm, his circuits burning. Ravage also seemed to be affected and snarled, his head whipping from side to side. The remaining birds in the area flapped their wings and departed. Sticks cracked as deer and smaller critters trampled across the landscape to escape the screechy sonic disturbance that hurt their ears.

It suddenly stopped.

Rumble shook his helm, discovering the screechy audio-splitting noise had dropped him to his knee plates.

_What was that?_

Rumble suddenly felt a chill run through him, his processor racing. He only felt his sort of pain with sonic disruptors— it hurt exactly like this. Rumble's face fell and his optics widened in horror. There was only one sonic disruptor he knew that was remotely close to them...

Rumble walked hasitly off the trail, his knees lifting higher over sticks and rocks. He reached a pine tree and dropped Ravage unceremoniously off his shoulder-plates. Ravage groaned, flashing Rumble with scarlet optics; knowing he dropped him harshly on purpose.

_"What are you doing?" _Ravage demanded.

"I'm going back for Frenzy..." Rumble answered, finishing up and turning to leave.

_"I told you Frenzy can take care of himself!"_

Rumble turned back to Ravage, his face expressionless. "Then why isn't he here? He shoul' have been outta the caves by now."

When Ravage couldn't answer his question, Rumble turned his back on the cyber-cat to answer it himself.

A bad feeling in his spark...

* * *

**A/N:** Next chapter will be Frenzy's. It's pretty much in the rough draft stage so once it goes through some polishing it should be out soon. I know I say that often but trust me I'll try and have it out for you guys ASAP. Believe me, I hate leaving things at cliffhangers just about as much as reading them. :P

Till next time! Thanks for reading! :)


	4. Escape Part 2

**FLESH STALKERS**

**Chapter 4**

**"Escape (Frenzy)"**

* * *

Within the earth Frenzy listened intently to the sound of the Alpha's breathing, failing to understand why the beast didn't just come into the hole and finish him off. What was he waiting for and how could the monster have so much restraint to wait for him?

Was this some kind of perverted test? Some hunting technique that Frenzy would never comprehend?

It was unbearable waiting in the stupid hole, trying to remain as quiet as possible. He knew he could escape the hole no problem but he still refused to abandon his temporary prison. There had to be a reason why the Alpha continued to linger outside, he just wasn't sure if he wanted the answer to come to him or if he should investigate it for himself. Other options would undoubtly lead to some sort of vicious confrontation. It was unavoidable.

A small stone by his foot had been egging Frenzy for several long moments; he was contemplating on throwing it to see if the noise would attract the Alpha away so he could slip past him. He wasn't sure if it would work, however he would risk it for a chance to get out of the damned caves. Very nimbly he reached down and picked up the stone, his fingers clutching it nervously. With all the space he was given, he threw the stone over his head, hoping the way he angled his arm would send the stone over the edge.

He nearly panicked when it arched and seemed to come straight down towards him, but luckily landed on the edge.

The Alpha sprang across the opening of the hole to the other side as fast as a bullet train when the stone clunked, a ferocious roar escaping him. Frenzy shivered as his optics shot open. Frag... that could have been him...

Relief engulfed his spark when he heard the Alpha start to head down the tunnel and away from his well. He was safe— the Alpha was gone. For now at least...

Frenzy took the opportunity and activated his anti-gravity, leaping out of the hole and landing gracefully in a crouch, his knee-plate resting on the stone floor and an arm out to the side for balance. Frenzy scanners shifted from left to right, trying to detect any movement in the dark in case the Alpha was wise to his trick.

He didn't see him.

Frenzy stood and activated his holographic map.

A red sliver of opaque light traced his path to freedom on the colorful map. However dismay coursed through his circuitry when he looked at the tunnel in front of him. He knew he couldn't take that route... the Alpha took that route and he needed to avoid him at all costs. If the females and regular male Crawlers could hurt him, he had no doubt the Alpha could do worse— perhaps even take him offline if he grabbed the right wires.

Frenzy looked behind him...

He would have to double-back and escape through Chapel Mine.

A sudden thought ran through Frenzy's processor that consumed him with guilt. He was worried about Rumble and wondering if Frenzy's escape plan may have sent Alpha after Rumble. Then again he was with Ravage and he knew the cyber-cat had been here more than twice before... he could feel it in his spark. Ravage would know the way out. His brother would be fine. He hoped.

Frenzy, with a heavy sigh, turned and headed towards the Nursing Chamber and to higher ground.

* * *

Frenzy reached the Honeycomb Chamber (the room with all the intersecting tunnels and the water entrance he and his brother took) and pulled himself out of the cramped tunnel from the Nursery. He fell to the ground, rolling softly across the hard surface until he was upright in a battle crouch.

He froze.

A Crawler was present in the chamber with him; it's back turned towards Frenzy. Despite its back to him Frenzy could tell what it was doing, the dead body of a fellow Crawler in front of him and the disgusting slurping and ripping sounds were enough to put two and two together.

Great... now he was probably going to have to wait for the thing to leave.

He didn't have the time.

Frenzy searched for the nearest rock he could find. He found one about the size of his fist a couple of feet away.

He looked back to the feeding Crawler and as quietly as he could muster he tiptoed over to the rock. The Crawler was lost in his own world, unaware of the robotic organism watching his every movement.

Frenzy's hand grasped the rock, with gentleness of jewel thief he silently picked it up. Slowly he turned and looked for decent size tunnel he could chuck it down. He swung and threw, managing to get the rock down the hole perfectly.

The Crawler's head snapped up from it's meal and turned it's head. Blood dripped from its mouth onto his shoulder as he looked behind him, the rock bouncing off the walls of the tunnel noisily.

Frenzy waited impatiently, his face frowning. Angered disappointment marred his face when the Crawler went back to it's meal, dismissing the noise. Frenzy rolled his optics bitterly behind his visor... he would have to come up with another alternative.

The Crawler's teeth sank back into the meat he found while wandering, the sound of skin ripping from bone and fluid splashing causing him to be oblivious. Before he could react something warm and hard grabbed the sides of his head and twisted his neck. Dead.

Frenzy shoved the Crawler's head to the side, his body dragging to land on his side. With nothing more than a curt 'humph' he stepped over the body and proceeded to the water. He looked behind him, making sure that no other Crawler would sneak up behind him before he dropped to his chassis and wormed forward. His hands entered the water hole first before he used the submerged walls of the tunnel to pull himself the rest of the way, his feet sinking into the hole and disappearing like a whale's tale.

Moments later the Alpha entered the Honeycomb Chamber, the scent he followed leading him here. The Alpha's superior nose dropped to the floor and sniffed, following it until his nose touched the surface of water.

He dived in.

* * *

Frenzy reached the exit of the water tunnel and soon found himself in the murky river; he grasped the sides of the wall and used it to navigate along the river. He stopped for a moment and activated his holographic map under the water.

The route to Chapel Mine was long... longer than another path that would take him to the Bone Pit. Frenzy looked up, looking at the long stretch of river before him. If he continued to navigate along the sides to the end would be a waterfall and up that waterfall would be a tunnel that would lead him to the Bone Pit.

The Bone Pit would then lead him out of this nightmare.

Frenzy felt confidence in his spark. Despite being cornered by the Alpha, he hadn't been attacked at all since he split with the others. The fact alone made him feel proud and intelligent. Perhaps he should take the risk of trying it instead of taking the long path he had already traveled down. After all if it was faster, why the Pit not?

Frenzy's optics narrowed with assurance and he started to grip the rock wall and move forward, his feet bouncing against the floor of the river like a moon walker.

Several long minutes showed his dot on his map getting close to the 'waterfall' and Frenzy was very fortunate that he looked behind him...

Behind him, swimming towards him against the current was the Alpha Crawler.

Frenzy panicked and raced through the water, feeling the pounds of pressure working against him as determination became futile against the element. The Alpha seemed to speed up it's movements before it was forced to resurface.

Frenzy stopped as he watched the Alpha resurface, it's waist bobbing under the water. Suddenly his feet pressed against the sides of the rock wall and disappeared.

A sigh of relief flooded Frenzy.

The Alpha was probably going up to get to another tunnel system.

Still... even though he had lucked out yet again it didn't dispute the fact the Crawler had followed him. It meant that his trick had only worked temporarily to throw the Alpha off... it was still very aware that Frenzy was around the general area.

Frenzy was glad that he didn't take the old path and decided to go for the new one; it could have easily turned out bad. Still, with the presence of the Alpha nearby, it was imperative tho Frenzy that he needed to get out— and quickly.

Frenzy turned his back to continue the route.

* * *

Water rushed on all sides of him, both thoroughly cleansing him and stalling him. His metallic hands gripped the slippery rocks and foot-holes behind the water's curtain as it continued to push down on him, hindering him like it was an ally of the Crawlers who wished him to remain imprisoned in the inferno.

He struggled but eventually found what he was looking for as the wall disappeared and an entrance was revealed. With a tired grunt he hauled himself over the side and relished the feeling of the water's weight off him. He rested for a moment on his hands and knee-plates in the waterfall's secret nook. His visor looked down the tunnel before him, the one that would lead him to the Bone Pit where he was sure Rumble and Ravage were right now.

The thought of his two cassette brothers caused him to frown with concern. He hoped Rumble and Ravage's travel out of the caves had been uneventful and not knowing if he was okay or not was spark-wrenching. However logic reassured him; Rumble would have called through the link for help if he was in mortal danger. He didn't and that allowed Frenzy to get back to worrying about his own safety...

He still had the Alpha on his aft.

Who knew... maybe he abandoned his original course like Frenzy did— he hoped not. If the Alpha continued, it would lead him to Chapel Mine and away from Frenzy. If he took another path... he could run into him again.

Frenzy decided not to worry about it at the moment since there was no way of knowing the Alpha's plans. Instead, Frenzy stood and walked down the tunnel, once again overwhelmed with the claustrophobic darkness.

His steps were slow and measured as he walked, feeling as if the walls of the tunnel would transform into arms to grab him. The entire environment of the cave gave off the impression that even _it_ didn't welcome him. It certainly had merciless twists and turns— none of which tended to aid him in anyway. It was the Crawler's territory and would always be— he was a trespasser. Though with the Crawlers, thinking that he was food, they welcomed Frenzy to their dwelling... and the caves certainly gave off that feeling of hostile ominous.

Frenzy sighed and trudged on until he reached the end.

He stopped.

The Crawler's coos and soft howls bounced off the walls of the cave all around him. He whirled around, trying to look for them. It felt like he was trapped inside a barrel; pinpointing the source was impossible.

Then, his optics landed on something in the floor.

A hole, another tunnel.

It was small, but not as small as the one they took to the nursing chamber. Feeling unsure he activated his holographic map. His finger followed his route...

The tunnel would take him to the Bone Pit which was below the floor he was. He must have gone up a level more than he was supposed to. However... it sounded like the Crawlers were in the Bone Pit.

He put an audio receptor close to the hole and listened, a scowl immediately settling on his face when he discovered he was right. Frenzy checked his holographic map once again, weighing his options...

Did he want to risk getting attacked but escaping faster, or did he want to stumble around the caves for another couple of hours until he found the exit? He looked from the map to the hole, pondering heavily. He didn't want to get attacked, especially when he didn't know how many where in the Bone Pit, however his resentment to being trapped in the caves longer was causing him to consider the first option.

Frenzy lowered himself to his chassis and crawled forward, his arms extended in front of him as he prepared to slip inside. He would take his chances, his plan was to drop in and then remain as quiet as possible until he got out of the Bone Pit or was within a safe distance away from them.

He sighed heavily and slipped down, using the tunnel walls to slow gravity. Though it was wider than the Nursing Chamber tunnel, it was far more difficult, like trying to do a handstand on a rock climber's wall. He continued to move downwards, trying to keep his movements to a minimum, all the while bracing his hands and feet against the sides.

The Crawler's grew louder, meaning he was getting closer. He grunted softly as he moved down another foot, feeling pain in his hands and legs as continued to shimmy down. He braced harder, feeling his circuitry burn.

Suddenly he saw the end of the tunnel below him and a towering pile of bones underneath like a barbaric hay-pile for him to land on.

Frenzy shimmed down to the end of the tunnel and listened intently, trying to see if he could pinpoint where the Crawlers were in the chamber and how nearby they were. He could make out three but he knew there were more, the echoes overlapping each other made it difficult to calculate approximately how many— more than what Frenzy was used to was all he could figure.

He dimmed his optics before brightening them back up as his face formed a serious, ready expression before he removed his hands and feet and dropped onto the bone pile. A pained grunt left his vocalizer as he hit the bone pile and rolled off it, the human remains poking his sides like sharp rocks.

He rolled to his hands and knees and waited, his hands and knees inside a small pool of blood.

They screeched, indicating that they had heard him like he predicted they would. It was nearly ten minutes before they started to quiet down, he didn't see a single one come for him which probably meant they couldn't find him. The resonating chamber seemed to cut him a break; the echoes giving him cover and making it difficult for them to find him.

Frenzy rose silently to his feet, stood for another reassuring moment and then lifted his feet, walking to the exit indicated on the holographic map. His optics didn't leave the floor as he raised his feet over bones in his path, the chamber hauntingly silent, making Frenzy uncomfortable.

He passed by another large pile of bones, tiptoeing and allowing himself to lift his head to get a look around, looking for any movements that weren't his.

A clattering explosion sounded behind him, followed by a vicious and powerful growl. Frenzy turned in time to catch the Crawler erupted from the bone pile and that tackled him to the ground. It screeched and clawed at Frenzy's neck joint, managing to snake a finger underneath and scratch the casing of a fuel line, earning a cry of pain from Frenzy. Frenzy growled and hit the Crawler across the face with a backhand. The Crawler groaned in pain as it flew of him from the force of the hit.

Frenzy rolled to the side, getting away from the Crawler. Frenzy jumped to his feet, facing the now smaller pile of bones as another advancing Crawler rose over the top of the bone pile. It hissed, sensing Frenzy's presence and jumped from the pile to the ground, landing in front of him. Frenzy was ready and turned to face the Crawler. He brought his knee up and connected it with the underside of his jaw, the Crawler let out howl of pain and landed on his back, it's jaw broken and bleeding.

The first Crawler recovered and sprang on Frenzy's back while clinging on to his shoulder plates, digging his hands under his armor. The Crawler's mouth connected with Frenzy's neck and bit down, trying to bite through he armour like a mosquito trying to breach a bank vault. Frenzy threw his head back and head-butted the creature across the forehead, giving it a small cut across it's gray forehead. The Crawler dropped off Frenzy, landing painfully on the ground. Frenzy turned an stomped on it's head, squishing it like a grapefruit as blood, bone and meat mixed with the sandy ground.

Frenzy fled, not even bothering with the other one that tried to attack him. He navigated through the towers of ivory until he reached what looked like a large puddle in the middle of the Bone Pit. Frenzy ran through it and tried to take the path that would lead him to the exit.

He froze and backed up, his optics wide.

The Alpha stalked towards him like a hell-hound, slowly and backed away from him, retreating back into the center of the puddle. Another hiss brought his attention to his left side, three other Crawlers emerged from the darkness, blocking off a possible escape route. He whirled behind him, the broken jaw Crawler whimpering in pain coming towards him, his claws extended. They surrounded him, circling him like sharks, the Alpha's blind eyes fixed in his direction, a toothy and wet snarl rumbling from it's chest.

Frenzy shivered but quickly gained his composure, his face angering as he balanced into an aggressive battle stance; ready. "Ya wanna piece of me?" he cried, his optics fixing on each individual Crawler. His drill tips emerged from his hands, whirring loudly. "Then come an' get some!"

The Alpha roared, as if accepting his challenge and sprang forward, knocking Frenzy to the ground with a swipe of his powerful bicep. Frenzy hit the floor of the wet pond hard, knocked silly. He tried to rise up but was taken over as the Crawler pounded his chest like a silverback gorilla. If there was any close representation of what his pile-drivers felt like, the Alpha definitely did a good job. Frenzy felt his chassis bend inward as the Alpha continued. Soon the other Crawler came to the Alpha's side and began to assist him in Frenzy's termination.

Pain engulfed him as the other Crawlers, soon joined by more late-comers, began to sink their teeth into him. Frenzy felt his fuel lines being pulled and as his view-screen crackled with static, dizziness soon clouding his processor. He couldn't comprehend what was happening anymore until he felt another tear in his left arm and his vocalizer opened...

And everything turned incomprehensible for everyone.

* * *

Rumble slid down the slope into the caves like a snowboarder, hitting the bones at the bottom with a jolt and nearly sending him forward. The sunlight disappeared as his colorful paint was blackened by the darkness once again. His form trembled; nervous and weary about descending back into the caves... unsure what to expect. He lingered there for a long moment, his hands flexing open and close anxiously.

He bowed his head, collected his courage and moved forward, walking timidly— his bravado to return to find Frenzy violently ripped away now that he was in the caves once again. He moved like a newcomer lost in a labyrinth, each of his steps soft, slow and unconfident.

He tried contacting Frenzy every so often as he went deeper, but he would never answer— not helping the ease his processor; the option that Frenzy was fine and probably waiting for him on the surface becoming an impossibility.

Fear grew inside him when he heard terrible shrieking, pained animalistic cooing, moaning and growling echoing off the walls all around him. He approached the gorge, the sound of his footsteps drowned out by the calls of what sounded like many Crawlers awaiting him on the other side. For a moment he decided to turn around and perhaps try a different route when he heard a voice that changed his mind.

Frenzy...

Frenzy was over there— and he was in trouble!

Without thinking twice jumped the gorge and crawled in the direction of the screaming. They echoed off the walls in the corridor he entered, heading in the direction of the Bone Pit. He raced towards the sound, thousands of pictures running through his processor of the Crawlers hurting his brother.

Rumble nearly jumped out of his plating when a Crawler, walking on his legs like a regular fleshie suddenly popped out from the entrance to the Bone Pit. Slashing wildly not at him but at the rock wall.

Fingernails dragged along the walls and the Crawlers screeched from agony as they peeled off, embedding themselves in the walls. The Crawler continued despite his claws being detached, almost as if he was trying to desperately dig a hole in the wall to escape something.

Rumble maneuvered around him and continued to the Bone Pit...

His jaw dropped.

The Crawlers, who had nearly the entire time held the title of 'hunter' while Rumble and Frenzy where in the caves, now became the hunted. They screeched fearfully, some cooing as if begging for mercy, as Frenzy chased after them, twin drills whirring in his hands, the expression of a mad-man on his face as he grinned broadly.

He brought them down onto an unsuspecting Crawler's back, driving them through him completely; blood and meat flying off the rotating ends and coating the bones, rock and other Crawlers nearby. Frenzy pulled his arms apart, spreading them wide and in doing so severing the Crawler's torso in half, his dented chassis heaving as a demonic glow in his optics illuminated the dark chamber. He grinned, laughing manically before screaming madly in a bloodlusty battle cry, both his blood and Crawler blood rolling down his form.

He lurched forward and attacked a nearby pile of bones, digging his drills into them like he did with the Crawler.

Rumble looked at his brother, disturbed by his behavior until he looked at the other Crawlers, squirming like worms over the ground and the bones. He noticed a very important detail... blood coming from their ears from damaged eardrums... he had seen something like it before...

It suddenly clicked...

Frenzy had used his sonic attack against them. The body of the dead Alpha lay dismembered a few feet away from where Frenzy was attacking the bones; another piece of evidence that pointed out why he let out the attack. However Frenzy had been affected by his own attack as well. He was alive but he was in as much hell as the hallucinating Crawlers.

_"Frenzy," _Rumble communicated through the link.

Frenzy hand's suddenly reformatted back to his hands as he clamped them over his audio receptors. He screamed and rolled forward, falling over the bones before he came to a stop and thrashed on the ground, he cried, his legs kicking wildly as he bucked and rolled. Rumble approached him, trying to get as close as possible without getting in range of his madness.

Frenzy suddenly laughed, the laugh both maniacal and filled with fearful desperation. His hand suddenly reformed back into a drill. "I'll getcha out... I'll getcha outta my head..." his drill inching closer to his helm...

Rumble acted on instinct, formed his hand into a pile-driver and hit Frenzy as effectively and as soft as he could— knocking his twin offline and stopping his attempt. Rumble looked around him, the Crawlers suffering in their madness and no longer a threat to him, and sighed. He ran a hand behind his neck and dimmed his optics. "Frag me..." he said with utter exhaustion.

Rumble grabbed Frenzy's arm and like Ravage lifted him onto his shoulder-plates in a fireman's carry.

Both twins finally able to escape Hell at last.

* * *

Rumble walked to the place where he dumped Ravage, Frenzy uncomfortably on his shoulder-plates unconscious as he basked in the guilty victory of being the only one of the three 'functional'. _How exciting victory was... _he thought with sarcastic bitterness.

The sun settled into the horizon as dusk began to envelope the land, dark, thin macabre clouds hanging in the jade and salmon colored sky and blackening the forest.

A shadow suddenly loomed above Rumble, making pines shake as if they were quivering in fear. He looked up to see a familiar face...

The Decepticon Communication's Officer landed, shaking the earth beneath him.

Soundwave turned to see Rumble walking towards him covered in fleshie vital fluid and Frenzy draped over his shoulder-plates offline. His face expressionless on the surface but his optics widened minutely in confusion when he saw the unpleasant and tired expression on Rumble's face.

Rumble's optics widened minutely but then quickly went back to normal. Of course Soundwave would have known Frenzy used his sonic attack; however he felt an aura of awkwardness start to seep into his circuitry. Frag... this was going to be a long story he would have to tell Soundwave, who he could feel in the link was demanding an explanation.

He sat down and told his master the strangest and most frightening mission to date; Soundwave listening intently as he worked on Ravage and Frenzy's injuries...

* * *

**"Epilogue"**

Rumble reached the top of the mountain, the sun finally settling into the horizon as the cold breeze blew and hit him, whipping the yellow and grass around him wildly. He stared at the landscape; the massive ocean of conifers before him and concealing the creatures that hide within the trees... and under the soil...

His head lifted up to face the setting sun, a look upon his face that could rival his master's own haunting and expressionless one. Frenzy stood next to him, more than ready to do what had been discussed and fantasized about. They exchanged glances with each other and smirked.

They formed their arms into pile-drivers...

**THE END**

* * *

_**Thanks again to everyone who has watched, favorited, subscribed and reviewed for this fic! It is all greatly appreciated! :)**_

**_~Alaskan Olive_**


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